Alebet ball



(No ModeL) A. BALL.

GORE BREAKBR AND LETER FOR. ANNULAR ROCK DRILLS.

Patented Apr. 14, 1885.v

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Nrrnn Brains artnr @trineo ALBERT BALL, OF CLAREMONT, NEW HAMPSHIRE,ASSIGNOR T0 THE SULLIVAN MACHINE CQMPANY, SAME PLAGE.

CORE BREAKER AND LIFTER FOR ANNULAR ROCK-RlLLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 315,887, dated April1-, 1885.

Application filed December 2D, 1884. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ALBERT BALL, of Claremont, in the county of Sullivanand State of New Hampshire, have invented anew and Improved Core Breakerand Lifter for Annular Rock-Drills; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full and exact description of the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon.

My invention relates to improvements in prospecting or boring annulardrills; and it has for its purposes-the attainment of the longest andmost perfect core and to the breaking off of the same and its removal inthemost effective manner.

Among the many core grasping, breaking, and raising devices employed forsimilar purposes,whether wedges, annular, or otherwise, rings, springs,jaws, or eccentrics, it will be found that in all of them, as theboring-head with its proper tube descends in its work, these variousdevices, which are in all instances connected with this tube more orless directly, descend with the tube and pass down with it over the coreand always in contact with it.

In the act of raising the boring-rod and the tube referred to,thecore,if unbroken, of course being stationary, the various graspingdevices named, by a change of the angle of contact with the core, graspthe same so firmly that by the further raising of the boring-tube theCore is broken and grasped firmly, so that it is raised with theboringtube to the surface, and is ready `for inspection. In the use ofall of these annular boring-drills a constant supply of water underpressure around the boringhead is essential, which serves to keep thesame cool and to aid in expelling the detritus or dbris.- By the jointaction of the water laden with detritus and dbris and of the constantfriction of the grasping devices with the core, and by their partiallyiilling up the waterchannel, and by the revolution of the drill, thecore, particularly in the softer rocks, is worn away and cut to such anextent that it breaks while the work of boring is going on, and, by theact of breaking, frequently binds and jams and chokes up the tube tosuch a degree as would injure or destroy the grasping devices if theboring were continued, or stop the effective work of the boring-head,necessitating the frequent removal of the entire tubing and drill-rods,and involving, particularly in deep boring, a wasteful expenditure oftime.

My improvement, seeking to obviate these defects and inconveniences, hasfor cardinal ideas the removal of the grasping devices from cont-actwith the core while the work of boring progresses, and at the same timea provision for a clear open uniform space around the core throughoutits desired length for the passage-way ofthe water, and devices foroperating the grasping devices at will from the surface of the groundbefore the tubing is raised; and the novelty and invention therein'consists in placing the'graspiug devices,when not in use, so that theyshall not extend into this uniform space between the core and theinterior of the tube, and in employing springpressure to operate thegrasping device, and in actuating such spring-pressure from the surfaceof the ground, and in the novelty of the various devices employed andtheir several operative combinations, all as more specilicallyhereinafter described and claimed.

For the better comprehension of my invention,reference should be had tothe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l shows a central verticalsectional view of the drill-head, the length of tubing nearest to thedrill-head, and the coupling which connects this length of tubing andthe one adjoining, ofthe small working size, with a part broken out andin position for operation. Ilig. 2- is a top view of the cylinder Kshown in Fig. il; and Figs. 3 and 4, respectively sectional and lowerend views of the same. Fig. 5 is a side view of the valve and stem Dindicated in Fig. l, and Eig. 6 is an end view from below of the saine.Fig. 7 is a side view of the plunger-pin liI indicated in Fig. l; andFig. S an end view ofthe same.

In the different drawings like letters refer to corresponding parts.

Arepresents the drill-head, which is attached by the usual screw-threadto the last length of the drill-tube B, usually called the corebarrel.77The inside of the drill-head is preferably made with abevel io receivethe points IOO of the grasping and breaking wedges I I I. These wedgesare preferably made springwedges, and are arranged to keep back out ofthe way of the core when not in use, and at uniform distance from it atevery point. They may be ofany desired number and length. For economicalreplacement, if broken or worn, I prefer to make them short, and torivet them to the outer lower part of cylinderH by the rivets a a a, asshown, where the upper front ends of the wedges are cut away a depthequal to the thickness of the walls ofy said cylinder, and the backupper ends serve to hold the lower end of the cylinder in position. H,as shown in Fig. l, is a cylinderextending nearly the whole length ofthe corebarrel. It is not necessarily a cylinder, but can consist oflongitudinal sections of a cylinder or strips of metal, or the wedges II I can extend the whole length; but the form of cylinder is preferredas being stronger. If cylindrical, it `is provided with holes t-t-o givefree passage of the water to and from the core. It is made of thinmetal, so as to take the least space inside of the core-barrel, and isuniform and smooth throughout its length, leaving a clear uniform spaceat all points between it and the core, so that it may not obstruct theflow of water, or cause the cutting away ofthe core by the water anddetritus which would result from any obstacle. It is important that-there should be free passage of the water from the inside of thecylinder H, so as not' to im! pede the progress of the core nor theadvance ofthe breaking-wedges attached to said cylinder when it isthrown forward. Besides serving to hold the wedges in their lproperplace when not in actual use, it serves to carry them forward to theirwork, as will be explained.

There'may be equivalent devices for accomplishing both purposes named,which will be shown more in detail in another applicationl for LettersPatent intended to be filed simultaneously herewith.

G is a head fastened by screws or rivets to the upper end of cylinder H.The upper part of this head is made beveling, so as not to obstruct thepassage of the water from the plunger-pin M down through thecore-barrel.

L is a screw which passes centrally through the head G, 4and holds thetop end of the cylinder H in central position within the tube, and alsoholds said head to the plunger-pin M. It allows the head G to revolve onthe smooth shank of the screw, andthus prevent the wearing of thelatches F F by the head of the plunger-pin M turning on them.Ordinarily, the gravity and the friction will cause the whole devicejust named to revolve with the drill rod and head; but it sometimeshappens that the core, asin soft rock and at seams, separates and wouldbecome wedged enough to overcome the force of this gravity and friction,and thus this freedom of independent revolution becomes important. Thisplunger-pin M fits at its lower end loosely in the core-barrel B, and isthere cut away, as shown in Fig. 8, to allow free passage to the water.The top end is grooved to allow the hooks of the latches F F to catchand hold the plunger-pin in position to keep the spring J undertension.(for a purpose which will be explained) and the cylinder H andwedges I up out of the way and in position during boring, as shown inFig. I. .The spring J shown as a spiral spring, and in Fig. l shownunder tension, surrounds the body of the plunger-pin M, and is prop-`erly held at its upper and lower coils between the lower end of thecylinder K and the lower part of the plunger-pin, respectively7 and whenthe latches F F release the plunger-pin this pin is forced down by theexpansion of the spring. The latches F F, pivoted at d d to cylinder K,have inclines on which the valvestem D works to open them, and inopening to unlatch them from the plunger-pin. The springs g g, when notforced back, keep the latches up to their work in catching and holdingthe plunger-pin.

K is a cylinder extending .from the lower end of the drill-tube couplingC to the coilspring J. It forms the top bearing of the spring. In thelower end are guides o, Figs. 3 and 4, which hold the plunger-pin M inplace.

N, Fig. 3, shows one of two slotted openings in cylinder K, to insertlatches and hold the springs g g in place. 4, are projections throughwhich the pins pass to hold the latches F F.

D (see Figs. 1, 5, and 6) is a sliding valve annular at its upper endwhich ts into a casing, K', secured to the inner walls of the cylinderK. It has an opening through it, and a projecting stem downward, whichis preferably rectangular, the end of vwhich works on the inclines ofthe latches F F, thereby'opening them when it is forced downward. As itallows the water to pass freely through its upper part when the drillingis being done, it has then no downward pressure except its own weight,(and may be called a balanced valve7 as to pressure,) but by theinsertion of a ball or plug, E, (I prefer an india-rubber balL) which islarger than the water passage or opening throughthe valve, thewater-passage is closed, and the whole force of the stream of water isbrought against the ball and the valve, which are thereby forced down.

K is the valve-seat; it, an opening at its bottom; e, a screw to holdthe valve-casing in place, and f a hole through 'the valve-casing h h,Figs. 2, 3, and

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K and core-barrel K. This hole is covered by the valve D when the drillis at work; but when the valve is forced down the hole f is uncoveredand allows the water in the drillrods above the valve to drain off asthe rods are raised.

C is the coupling connecting the core-barrel with the sectionofdrill-rod next above. The hole through the coupling m is preferablyenlarged at the ends for the more free passage of the ball E.

The operation of my invention is as follows: I I, as set out in myapplication No. 150,853,

The core-cylinder being raised to the surface and the ball E retainedabove under control of the operator, the plunger-pin M is drawn up intothe grasp of the latches F F, thereby compressing the spring J, (whichmay be as stiff as desired for the work to be done,) and therebybringing the spring-wedges I I I up from the smaller hole in thedrill-head A and away from possibility of contact with the core, and thetubing and drill-rod are then lowered to position for work. There isthen fre-e passage for the water that is pumped down through thedrill-rod, passing from the coupling G through the valve-opening a.

Vhen'it is desired to stop drilling, and to break and raise the corewhich will have passed up into the cylinder II, the ball E is droppedinto the top of the drill-rod and passes rapidly downth rough therods tothevalve, stoppingthe passage ofthe stream of water throu gh thevalveand the core-barrel, and causing the full pressure of the waterto bearupon the balland valve D until it shall have unlocked the latches F F.Thereupon the spring J is released and its force transmitted to thewedges III, which are driven downward and forward with sufficient forceto break the core or to hold it so firmly that it must be broken whenthe rod is pulled up. This construction also makes the core-barrelpractically an air-tight cylinder below the valve, and tends to preventthe falling out of the core or borings when the tubing is raised. It thematerial worked in be unusually soft, the wedges can be so constructedand driven as almostto close thehole through the drill-head. When thevalve has been driven far enough to open the latches, the hole f isthereby opened. This is sufficiently large to allow the water that is inthe drillrods to drain off as they are drawn up, tiereby avoidingdiscomfort to the operators.

It is apparent that in the organization above described the length ofcore in suitable rock may be as great as the length of the cylinderbetween the boring-head A and the head G, or several feet in length.

I disclaim in this application the combination of the ball, the valve,the latches, the plunger-pin, and the wedges, and the combination oftheball, the valve, the latches, the plunger-pin, the head, and the wedgesset out in my application No. 150,852, tiled December 20, 188i, forimprovement in core breakers and litters for annular rock-drills, andalso the combination, in the core-barrel, of an annular drill, thechannels C, and the wedgearms e, carrying wedges; also, the combination,with the annular drill -head and the core-barrel of the plunger-pin, thedrop-rod, the latches, and the wedges; also, the combination of thedrop-rod, the latches, the plunger-pin, the spring, and the wedges, andthe combination of the drop-rod, the plunger-pin, the latches,thespring, and the breaking andlifting wedges led December 20, 1884, forimprovements in core breakers and litters for annular rockdrills.

Having thus described my improvement and its mode of operation and tosome extent its advantages, what I claim as my invention, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. The combination, with an annular drillhead and core-barrel, of coregrasping and lifting wedges I I, connected with the interior thereof, aclear space at all parts being left between said wedges and the exteriorof the core, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with an annular drillhead and core-barrel, of thewedgesI Iwithin the core-barrel, the head G, with which said wedges areconnected, the plunger-pin M, connected with the head G, and the latchesF, engaging with said plunger-pin, substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

3. The combination, with an annular drillhead and core-barrel, of thecylinder I-I within the core-barrel, provided with water inlets andoutlets, the wedges I I, attached to said cylinder, the head G, attachedto said cylinder, and the plunger-pin M, attached to the head G by thebolt L, and the latches F, enga-ging with said plunger-pin,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, with an annular drillhead and core barrel, of thecylinder K, the coil-spring J, having a bearing against said cylinder,the plunger-pin M, operated by said spring, the latchesF F, engagingwith said plunger-pin, the head G, attached to said plunger-pin, and thewedges I I, connected with said head, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

5. The combination, with an annular drillhead and core-barrel, of theplunger-pin M, the valve D, connected with said plunger-pin, the latchesF, engaging with said plunger-pin, the spring J, operating the same whendisengaged from the latches, and the head G, connected with saidplunger-pin and adapted to carry the connected wedges I I, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

(i. The combination, 'with an annular drillhead and core-barrel,of theball E, adapted to close the opening to' the valve D, the valve D,operating upon the latches F, the plunger-pin, the spring J, operatingthe same when disengaged from the latches, and the head G, con

nected with said plunger-pin and carrying the connected wedges I I,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT BALL.

Witnesses: i

JOHN It. Straw, FRANK A. BALL.

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